Tony Isbert Movies
- 1991
- R
This sex-horror film from producer Roger Corman was filmed in Spain with a mostly American cast. Cliff De Young (Shock Treatment) is Michael, the heir to a cursed castle, who marries pretty Susan (Maryam d'Abo) and moves her in. Unfortunately for the newlyweds, an oversexed succubus named Diana (Shari Shattuck) is out to break up the couple. Director Herve Hachuel's film is mostly an excuse for Shattuck to be naked a lot, but undemanding genre devotees should find the film entertaining enough to watch on a rainy night. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
The success of The Abyss led to slew of deep-sea adventures in 1989, including this silly monster movie from the director of Pieces and Slugs. Jack Scalia stars as the head of a rescue mission sent to retrieve a nuclear sub sunken off the coast of Norway, only to be menaced by phony-looking monsters and a ruthless corporate stooge (Ray Wise) trying to get everybody killed. Full Metal Jacket's R. Lee Ermey co-stars as another hard-bitten militarist, this time a ship captain, and the film features numerous poorly-done gore scenes including an exploding head and torn-off limbs. Deborah Adair is noteworthy as Scalia's ex, but the direction is poor and the monsters are likely to produce more in the way of sneers than cheers. See also Leviathan and DeepStar Six. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Scalia, R. Lee Ermey, (more)
- 1989
In this rambling, slow-paced and basically mild horror story, an artist gets in his car and winds up in a small Catalan town. There, he is bedded by a bevy of women who are handmaidens for the devil, and meanwhile he tries to make some sense out of this by consulting with occultists. One side effect of all this diabolical sex is that he also suffers from hallucinations, which don't help him very much in his efforts to come back to reality. This odd drama is based on a novel by (Manuel Pedrolo. Reviewers reported finding a great deal of inadvertent humor in the film's extremely pretentious dialog. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Isbert, Nuria Hosta, (more)
- 1988
- R
George Rivero stars in Fist Fighter as C.J. Thunderbird, a participant in the dangerous, illegal world of bare-knuckle boxing. Working the bare-knuckle circuit in Mexico, Thunderbird forms a business partnership with old buddy Harry "Punchy" Moses (Edward Albert). This angers avaricious promoter Billy Vance (Mike Connors), who'd like to have complete control over Thunderbird. Vance pulls all sorts of dirty tricks to undermine Thunderbird's effectiveness--including having Our Hero thrown into prison on a trumped-up charge, and kidnapping leading lady Ellen (Brenda Bakke)--but the champ gets even during a climactic set-to with goonish Moreno (Simon Andreu). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jorge Rivero, Edward Albert, (more)
- 1986
Juan Gallardo (Tony Isbert) becomes the legendary robber known as Pasos Largos (Long Strider), the last of the celebrated Andalusian bandits. Poaching puts him at odds with the head of the hated local Civil Guard and the livid landowner. Though the film attempts to elevate Pasos Largos to hero status, the heartless bandit exhibits no redeeming qualities whatsoever -- he even shoots his faithful dog and any other animal that moves. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Isbert, Marina Saura, (more)
- 1984
In this softcore sexploitation film by Paco Lara, Christina (Jewel Shepard) is the wealthy heiress to a publishing fortune, kidnapped by a variety of evil men or women who sexually use her as they wish and then pass her on to the next group, willingly or not. In-between the sex are some obviously fake martial arts battles between women, and a non-existent storyline which has Christina falling asleep at odd moments so dream sequences can be added to the pastiche. Parental guidance is in order. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jewel Shepard, Karin Schubert, (more)
Italian horror icon Riccardo Freda directs I Spit on Your Grave star Camille Keaton in this gory shocker concerning four hippies who seek shelter from a summer storm in a seemingly-abandoned villa, only to realize that they have stumbled into a satanic sacrifice. Frightened away by the gruesome orgy of violence, the hippies waste no time in beating a hasty retreat. Things quickly go from bad to worse, however, when the innocent peaceniks are subsequently accused of committing a massacre that eclipses that of even the Tate-LaBianca murders. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camille Keaton
This Spanish-produced vampire weirdness was initially released in the U.S. as Saga of Dracula, then retitled Dracula: The Bloodline Continues for its video release. Narciso Ibáñez Menta plays the aging Count, who fears that his spineless male offspring is ill-suited to vampirism and is, therefore, an unworthy heir to the House of Dracula. He turns his attention instead to his pregnant niece, with the intention of transforming the unborn child into a vampire, but his efforts cause the baby to be stillborn. This does not sit well with the niece, who sets out on a campaign of attrition against all vampires -- including just about everyone in her family. All is not lost, however, as the child is not entirely down for the count (no pun intended). This film features some of the flamboyant cheesiness and gothic flair that added a touch of charm to so many Spanish hack monster films of the '70s (e.g. the complete works of Paul Naschy), with some surreal dream sequences and plenty of sex and gore on display. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this Spanish film, Daniel (Tony Isbert) is a member of The Organization. It is never quite clear whether The Organization is part of the government, a secret society, or something else. Whatever it is, it is powerful, and does not take disobedience lightly. He is sent on an assignment to Bilbao to determine what has become of a lad his age, a former member. He takes over the boy's room in an odd rooming house. When he is given the photo of the boy's girlfriend (Geraldine Chaplin), he is so taken with it that he puts off his quest. The Organization requires him to continue, however, so he tracks her down to a remote fishing village. The two fall in love and attempt to escape. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
The title of this quirky Spanish melodrama translates to Carole by Day, Carole By Night. The titular Carol, played by Marisol, is the heir to a fortune. As is customary in films of this nature, Carole finds her life in danger so long as she remains in close proximity of her fortune. Thus, she flees her native country and heads to Spain. Here Carole gets a job in a seedy nightclub, which opens her eyes to world she never dreamed existed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
This Spanish-language detective story investigates the death of a lovely young woman (Conchita Velasco). The film begins with the discovery of her body on a beach in southern Spain. A vagrant tinker (Fernando Fernan Gomez) who is implicated in her death investigates it alongside the police. Also suspected are a local fisherman (Alfredo Mayo) and his son, whom the deceased had been living with. Through flashbacks we discover that the fisherman and his son had some jealous conflicts because of her. Perhaps she was the lover of both of them. Certainly she had a flirtatious way about her, which is how the tinker has become a suspect. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1931
"I am....Drac-u-la. I bid you velcome." Thus does Bela Lugosi declare his presence in the 1931 screen version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Director Tod Browning invests most of his mood and atmosphere in the first two reels, which were based on the original Stoker novel; the rest of the film is a more stagebound translation of the popular stage play by John Balderston and Hamilton Deane. Even so, the electric tension between the elegant Dracula and the vampire hunter Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) works as well on the screen as it did on the stage. And it's hard to forget such moments as the lustful gleam in the eyes of Mina Harker (Helen Chandler) as she succumbs to the will of Dracula, or the omnipresent insane giggle of the fly-eating Renfield (Dwight Frye). Despite the static nature of the final scenes, Dracula is a classic among horror films, with Bela Lugosi giving the performance of a lifetime as the erudite Count (both Lugosi and co-star Frye would forever after be typecast as a result of this film, which had unfortunate consequences for both men's careers). Compare this Dracula to the simultaneously filmed Spanish-language version, which makes up for the absence of Lugosi with a stronger sense of visual dynamics in the lengthy dialogue sequences. In 1999, a special rerelease of Dracula was prepared featuring a new musical score written by Philip Glass and performed by The Kronos Quartet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, (more)
